Exceptions
by XXCaptainUsoppXX
Summary: "We all do things to keep Luffy happy." Usopp and Zoro discuss their captain, and the exceptions they'll make for him. Post timeskip. LuUso, slight ZoLu and Zoro/Usopp nakamaship.


A/N: Let's pretend the Straw Hats spent at least one night on the coated ship together before getting to Fishman Island. That's when this story is set.

* * *

><p>Usopp was stretched out in his wooden hammock, enjoying that calm moment between waking and sleeping. It was the crew's first night back together, but he was alone in the boy's room, so it was abnormally quiet for a night on the Thousand Sunny.<p>

Chopper was in the infirmary with Sanji, who'd suffered another serious nosebleed after supper, when Nami mentioned she was going to go take a bath. Franky was doing some kind of maintenance to the ship, making some final tweaks to a mysterious weapon he'd been working on since arriving back on Sabaody. Brook was probably trying to steal a peek at the girls' underwear.

He wasn't sure where Luffy and Zoro were. He felt a strange twinge in his stomach at the thought of what they might be doing, together…

Usopp's train of thought was violently interrupted when the door to the room burst open and a flurry of rubbery arms and legs launched itself at the sniper's hammock.

"Ooof! Luffy?"

The captain shoved Usopp over enough to make room for himself, then nuzzled his head into the crook of his crewmate's neck.

"Chopper said Sanji is sick and he can't make me any meat," Luffy whined.

A small wave of relief washed over Usopp. So Luffy had been begging for meat. He hadn't been… with Zoro.

Smiling, Usopp ran a hand through his captain messy hair. It was an amazing feeling, to know that Luffy was physically here, with him, in the flesh, after so much time apart.

"Usopp got strong!" Luffy observed suddenly, wrapping his stretchy arms around Usopp's broad chest.

Usopp grinned.

"A brave warrior of the sea has to be strong for his captain!"

"And your hair got really big, too," Luffy continued, reaching up and yanking out Usopp's ponytail.

"Hey!" he protested as his black curls sprang out, falling around his face and shoulders.

Luffy giggled and ran his fingers through the curls, then suddenly yanked Usopp's face close to his own. Usopp closed his eyes and melted into his captain's powerful, if sloppy, kiss.

"I missed you," Usopp whispered as they pulled apart.

Luffy responded with another wet, sloppy, wonderfully Luffy-like kiss. All the pain and sadness of those two years apart floated away as Usopp pulled his captain closer.

...

Luffy lay sprawled out across Usopp's chest, his stomach rising and falling in time to his snores. The sniper gently ran his fingers along the harsh pink scar on his captain's chest. It stood out sharply in the room's dim light. A deep crater that looked as if a huge chunk of flesh had been torn away.

Usopp froze when the door to the room burst open for the second time that night.

Zoro pulled off his boots and tromped across the room towards his hammock.

"Hey," he grunted, glancing over at Usopp and Luffy.

"Hi," Usopp squeaked nervously, though this wasn't the first time he'd been caught far too close to his captain.

"Mind if I join?" Zoro asked, coming to sit on the edge of Usopp's hammock.

"What? We weren't doing anything!" Usopp blurted. "W-well we kissed, but I swear we didn't do anything else!"

"Relax. I know you're not gay."

Usopp frowned and rubbed his temple.

"I dunno. I just spent the last hour making out with my captain…"

"Luffy doesn't count," Zoro stated bluntly. He reached out and ruffled the sleeping boy's hair.

Usopp muttered something vague, embarrassed. He continued to trace the rough scar on Luffy's chest.

"Do you know how he got this scar?" he asked Zoro suddenly.

"Hm? Probably during the war."

"Oh, yeah… How about you? Where did you get that scar?"

"Mihawk," Zoro grunted.

Usopp rolled his eyes.

"I know. I didn't mean that one. I meant the one on your eye."

"Mihawk," Zoro repeated.

Usopp's eyes widened.

"You fought with _Mihawk_ during these past two years?"

"I trained with him," Zoro corrected.

"You _trained_ with him? Wow… no wonder you got so strong…"

Zoro almost grinned at that.

"Whoever you trained with did a pretty good job on you, too," he said.

"Yeah… Heracles-un was a great teacher-un. I'll miss him-un."

"Huh?"

"What? Oh, never mind," Usopp said, looking away quickly. His messy curls sprang up and into his face again.

"You grew your hair out," Zoro observed, as if he'd only just noticed.

"Yeah. It gets in the way if I don't tie if back, but Luffy-"

"Why don't you just cut it, then?" Zoro asked, reaching for one of his swords.

"What? No!" Usopp protested, jerking away from Zoro.

"Why not?"

"Because… because Luffy likes it."

Zoro raised an eyebrow.

"Back home I used to keep it pretty short, but after I joined the crew Luffy told me he liked my hair and… I haven't cut it since then."

"You sound like a girl," Zoro snorted.

"Whaaat? I… I _could_ cut it… I…"

Zoro stood up, stretched, and headed for his hammock.

"It's okay," he said as he settled into his own bed. "It's okay to make exceptions for Luffy. We all do things to keep Luffy happy."

"What do you do?" Usopp asked, curious.

Zoro didn't answer, but Usopp could have sworn he saw the stoic swordsman smile before he rolled over and pulled a pillow over his head.


End file.
